Galatasaray made a striking announcement on Monday following the Istanbul derby, where Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce side played out a goalless draw. The Portuguese manager now faces accusations of racism based on remarks he made regarding the reactions of the opposing bench to the referee’s decisions throughout the match.
“Since taking on his managerial role in Turkiye, Fenerbahce’s Jose Mourinho has consistently made disparaging remarks about the Turkish populace. His comments have now escalated from being merely inappropriate to crossing the line into distinctly inhumane language.
“We are formally declaring our intent to pursue criminal actions regarding the racist remarks made by Jose Mourinho and will file official complaints with UEFA and FIFA as a result.
“Additionally, we will closely monitor how Fenerbahce – a club that prides itself on ‘exemplary moral values’ – responds to the unacceptable behaviour displayed by their manager,” the statement from Galatasaray read.
This controversy stems from Mourinho’s comments following the match. The derby was officiated by Slavko Vincic, an overseas referee, and the Portuguese coach thanked him, which incited a response from his rivals.
“I must express my gratitude to the referee. While the entire opposing bench reacted like monkeys to every call, he showed remarkable character in what can only be described as a jungle atmosphere.
“Had he been a Turkish referee, he would have booked Yusuf Akcicek in the first minute, and I would have been forced to substitute him within five minutes,” he remarked, referring to the young centre-back’s performance.
At present, Galatasaray leads the Turkish league with 64 points, six points ahead of second-placed Fenerbahce, with 12 matches remaining in the season.
Catch the complete match report from the derby here.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
